Leave the Past to Memories
by The Lady Hawkfeather
Summary: Link encounters problems adjusting to the past after Zelda sends him back from the future. This is my first fic, so please r/r but don't be too harsh.


  
*Ahem* A few notes before we begin:  
1) This is my very first fic, so please review but don't be too mean. I'm new to this.  
2) I have played around with landscape of Hyrule and the distances to make it more "real," but have tried to keep it as true to the game as possible. Otherwise the landscape isn't very big or interconnected.  
3) Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I don't own The Legend of Zelda (too bad) or any of the characters within. So, without further ado, I give you:  
  
Leave the Past to Memories  
  
Link woke with a start. The room seemed to spin around him, swirling just as it had in the nightmare he had just escaped. Suddenly, he felt sick, and reached for the trashcan beside his bed. After throwing up, his vision cleared and he could think normally again.  
It's getting worse, he thought as he wiped sweat from his forehead. The hallucinations stayed with him longer now, and could come at any time. Before he had only suffered nightmares, but now the nightmares continued into his waking life. They could strike at any time, but they were always worst in the half-light that announced the beginning and end of the day.  
Link closed his eyes and tried to think of some way to stop what was happening to him. He had hoped that his adventures in Termina, since they had kept his mind occupied, would clear the problem up, but when he had returned to Hyrule he found that it was worse, not better. He could hardly take a step outside without the shadows assaulting him from all sides. In fact, the only thing that had really helped was solitude. Being alone in the deeper reaches of the Lost Woods helped shut out the visions and gave him time to think.  
It had been in those parts of the Woods that he had begun his adventure in Termina. While in Termina he found that the shadows didn't bother him. He had thought at the time that he had been cured, but when he returned to Hyrule the peace he had felt evaporated. The fact that time seemed to pass differently between the worlds did not help either. To him, it had felt like months he had spent in Termina, but when he came home only two days had passed. He had spent three days sleeping off the effects of the travel between worlds. The nightmares had haunted him while he slept, and when he finally forced his way out of that sleep the hallucinations continued into the daytime.  
It was like seeing two things at once, like seeing the same scene twice, but differently. It made his head ache and spin, and his stomach churn. On the best days he might only have a bad headache, but on the worst days he would curl up on the ground and try not to throw up. The visions didn't stop when he fell asleep. Some nights he would finally give in to exhaustion, only to be plagued by terrible nightmares. He knew that what he was seeing was both the present and the future at once. He was remembering the future he had lived in before being sent back by Princess Zelda.  
After defeating Ganon, Link had hoped that he could, at last, relax. Zelda had offered to send him back to before anything had happened, and he had accepted, hoping that it would mean that he would be able to forget everything. However, he had not, and the memories of the future plagued him mercilessly. He couldn't go on much longer as he was now. He had lost weight and had stopped visiting people he knew because he saw them both in the present and as they would be in the future. He hardly even went outside anymore, except when he had to.  
"I've got to go to Zelda and get her to let me go to the future again," he said out loud. "Otherwise this will never stop." This, he realized, was his last hope. If he couldn't go forward again, he wouldn't survive. He couldn't keep going the way he was now.  
He washed, dressed, and ate quickly. He didn't know how long the hallucinations would hold off. He had to make the most of the time he had. He saddled Epona and set off, riding as quickly as he could through the forest while still avoiding trees and other hazards. Mist swirled around Epona's legs, a gray river interspersed with delicate ferns and ancient trees. Tendrils of vines trailed lazily from the trees and brushed against his face as he rode. He couldn't see the sky through the thick emerald leaves of the canopy. The leaves glistened with silvery drops of water that had collected from last night's rain. The ground where it could be seen through the fog was covered in dull shades of rotten brown leaf mold.  
As they neared the edge of the forest the trees grew weaker and farther apart. These were the trees that were too far away to enjoy the life force radiating from the guardian Deku Tree, and thus were weaker than their ancient cousins. Then, wuite suddenly, the Woods open out onto a grassy hill that looked down on a village. Past the village was more grassland that continued farther than the eye could see. They had come out very close to Kakariko Village, which was the village nearest the castle. He rode down the hill and entered the village, saluting the guard as he did so, and walked Epona slowly through the streets.  
It was then that the first of the double-visions struck him. He suddenly saw the half-finished buildings completed, exactly as they would be in 7 years. Some of the people had shadows around them as they bustled from one place to another. These people were ones he had known or seen in the future. He quickened Epona's walk to escape the hallucinations. Suddenly, it seemed the village was burning, and Link saw the shadow that he had defeated in the Shadow Temple lurking behind buildings. It seemed to focus on him, and moved straight towards him, ready to kill...  
"No," he said quietly to himself. "It's not real, it's just an illusion." But he could practically feel the crackling force of it on the back of his neck, and with a cry he kicked Epona to a gallop, almost knocking a man over. He ran towards the exit and out into Hyrule Field. He stopped and looked back to the village, half expecting the dark phantom to be right behind him. But there was nothing back there but a few stray cuccos and the village. The vision had stopped, for the moment.  
From this point it was only a few hours to the castle. He could see it on the horizon, a slight bump on the otherwise perfect flatness of the plain. Behind it, mountains rose in the distance. He urged Epona forward at a gallop and tried to think only of the present. He kept his mind on the riding, and slipped into a kind of meditation that helped keep away the visions. He had to reach Zelda quickly before things got even worse. It had only been about a month (not counting the lost time in Termina) since he had been sent back from Ganon's defeat, and already his life had fallen apart. He was afraid it would get even worse, though he couldn't imagine how.  
Concentrate on the riding, he thought. He concentrated on the rhythm of riding, and slipped into a trance. If he thought too much about his fears, the visions would come again, crippling him and shearing away at his last threads of sanity. He couldn't let himself go crazy.  
Some time later, Link looked up from his trance. He couldn't recall how long he had ridden, but it must have been quite awhile since he could see Lon Lon Ranch and the castle quite clearly. Epona was exhausted, so he slowed her to a fast walk. As they passed Lon Lon Ranch, he remembered how he and Epona had escaped from Ingo by jumping the wall that surrounds it. With that thought, Epona suddenly seemed a full grown horse instead of the pony he had been riding just a few minutes ago. He clung desperately to her back until he got her to stop and slid off, shaking. He would continue on foot from here.  
Hyrule Castle was very close now. He guessed it would only take him another hour, at most, to get there. He walked quickly, afraid that at any moment another vision would come. I've been lucky so far, he thought. It could have been so much worse...He shook his head and kept walking. Above him, the sky seemed to be clouding up. It looked like it would rain. Massive dark clouds were gathering together, turning the sky from a clear blur to an ominous gray.   
He looked around him, trying to judge how long he would have until the full storm reached him. He looked back towards Kakariko Village, and past it to the mountains. He saw Death Mountain as he had seem it 7 years in the future, with a ring of fire swirling around its peak. He tried to look away, but could not. He watched, horrified, as a red speck seemed to detach itself from the flaming ring. It seemed to move straight towards him. He looked away, hoping the illusion would end, and quickened his pace. Fear and curiosity forced him to look back towards the mountain.  
"What the..." he exclaimed as the fiery figure finally became clear to him. It was Volvagia, the fire dragon and guardian of Death Mountain. The dragon that had been resurrected and corrupted by Ganondorf in the future. He had defeated it as an adult, but it was back to haunt him. He ran as fast as he could for the castle's entrance, and was almost there when Volvagia finally reached him. It wheeled in the sky above his head, screaming as it had done when he had killed it, and vomited fire into the air. He tried to reach the drawbridge, but Volvagia swooped down in front of him, breathing flames directly towards him. With a cry he threw himself on the ground, waiting for the fire to burn his clothes and skin away...  
But it did not come. He opened one eye and saw that Volvagia was gone. He stood cautiously, and looked up at the sky, but nothing was there. He exhaled, and turned to start into the castle, but stopped immediately when he saw it. The castle was burnt, ruined as it had been after Ganon had destroyed it. His head was pounding and his stomach was churning, but he forced himself to close his eyes and go in.  
Inside the town was normal. The illusion had once again gone. He hurried through the marketplace and towards the gates of the castle. He snuck past the guards as quickly as possible without being caught and made his way into the courtyard. Zelda was sitting on a bench, staring at the sky.  
"Zelda, please, I need you to send me forward again..." Link started. The Princess sat up, startled.  
"Oh, it's you," she said happily. She had been so bored. Her father was stuck in meetings, and Impa had had errands to run. The Princess didn't like having to amuse herself, and now she had someone to talk to. "What's wrong?" she said upon noticing the look on his face. "You don't look so good..."  
"Zelda, please, I need to go back, I mean forward, to when I was before. It's driving me crazy! If you open the Door of Time, I can get the sword, and I'll be better..."  
"What in Hyrule do you mean?" she asked. He was practically raving. "Send you forward to when you were before? You want to go forward in time?"  
"Yes, I need to. I mean, you sent me back here after I defeated Ganon..." Link explained to her, "But I still remember everything and its driving me crazy! Please! I have got to go back!"  
"What's going on?" Impa said as she walked into the courtyard. "Link, it's good to see you again... what's wrong?" She frowned as she saw his expression. Link explained the visions and nightmares to her. She frowned. "So, your spirit was sent back here from the future, but you still remember everything that happened to you in the future?" She pensively paced the courtyard. "You remember the future, and since it's not meant to be that way, your mind is fighting it. If you stay here much longer, you will go crazy." She stopped suddenly, and looked straight at Zelda. "Princess, you must open the Door of Time. Link, if you pull the Master Sword, it should send you to where your spirit is supposed to be."  
"I'm terribly confused," said Princess Zelda.  
"Please, just open the Door for me. I have to take the Master Sword." Link looked at her pleadingly. Zelda looked into his eyes, and realized that he was begging her. She couldn't just say no when he was obviously in so much pain.  
"Alright," she said. They made their way to the Temple of Time. Zelda took out the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Time. The Door glowed, and then slid slowly open. Beyond the threshold Link could see the Master Sword gleaming in its pedestal.  
"Thank you," said Link. He was unsure of what to say.  
"Goodbye, I guess." He ran towards the sword, set his hands on the hilt, and pulled. It slid slowly free. He was surrounded by white light, and felt himself lifted up.  
Finally, he thought, the visions will end.  
Link opened his eyes. He was in the Temple of Time, holding the Master Sword. Quickly he looked at himself. He was seventeen again, the same age as when he had been sent back in time. He sighed in relief. Now he would be able to live in only one time. Still, there was a nagging sadness in his heart, the sadness at having lost seven year of his childhood. If I hadn't done this, I would have gone crazy, he thought to himself. I guess I'm a Hero again.  
"Link," said a voice behind him. He turned around. Princess Zelda stood in the Doorway of Time, exactly as she had been when she sent him back. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake to try to send you back. I suppose you are meant to be here, as the Hero of Time. We do need you to help get things back in order..."  
"I hoped I would forget," he said softly, walking towards her, "But I didn't. And I couldn't live seeing two times at once. So, I guess I had to give up those seven years."  
"Link, I'm so sorry. You missed your childhood. Maybe there is a way to make you forget and send you back...I can try again, maybe this time..." He shook his head and she stopped.  
"I'm here, and I'm ready to live the rest of my future. I think I'll leave the past to memories for now. It's the way things are meant to be." He sheathed the sword and walked past her, out into the light. She stayed behind, standing silently for a moment, wondering how he could bear to lose those years. I suppose I also lost them, though in a different way. But to not have ever lived those years? To have no memory of them? Well, perhaps it was destined. She sighed. I guess he's right, she thought. Leave the past to memories, where it belongs. She closed the Door and stood silently for another few minutes before going out into the warmth of the day to put the kingdom that would be hers to rights.   
  
Well, that's it, so I guess if you want to you can review it. I'm hoping that you guys will like it, and I look forward to writing more stories for this board.   
Thanks,  
DragonFeather  



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